WWW.GLOVE-WORKS.COM BASEBALL GLOVE COLLECTOR FORUM

This section will cover the Made in USA Heart of the Hide models made from 1990-2002 and the Special Edition Eastbay Custom Made in USA series, widely known as the Saint Louis Custom Shop (SLCS).

Early 1990’s to 1997 Made In USA HOH:
Popular Stock:
PRO-3
PRO-5
PRO-CB
PRO-6
PRO-7
PRO-12
PRO-BF(B)
PRO-2
PRO-HF(B)
PRO-T(B)

BLACKHORSE Date Code:
On the thumb, you will generally see “Gold Glove Series” with a 3 letter code, followed by two numbers, either under or over “Gold Glove Series.” The BLACKHORSE date code works as shown below where each letter is equal to a number. The first letter in the code indicates the last digit of the year the glove was made (from 1990-1997), followed by the month. The last two numbers indicate which Tannery the leather comes from.

B = 1
L = 2
A = 3
C = 4
K = 5
H = 6
O = 7
R = 8
S = 9
E = 0

Examples:
KBB = 5/11 or November 1995
BBL = 1/12 or December 1991
HEK = 6/05 or May 1996

Tanneries:
01 = Horween
09 = TN Tannery
14 = Guttman

KBB01 = 5/11 or November 1995 of Horween Leather
BBL09 = 1/12 or December 1991 of TN Leather
HEK14 = 6/05 or May 1996 of Guttman Leather

1998 to Early 2000’s Made in USA HOH Models:

Popular Stock Models:
PRO-6HF
PRO-12TC(B)
PRO-1000BC(B)
PRO-1000HC(B)
PRO-204MTC
PRO-2MTC
PRO-200HC
PRO-TB24
PRO-T(B)
PRO-HF(B)

Dot Date Code:
These were the last few MIUSA gloves that were made unless they were a special order for a pro player or were later part of the Eastbay Exclusive Custom USA Series, often discussed at the Saint Louis Custom Shop (SLCS). The Date Code system for these 1998 to Early 2000’s MIUSA gloves followed the “Dot” system as described below.

Dot System:
1998 – 3 Dots
1999 – 4 Dots
2000 – 5 Dots
2001 – 1 Dot
2002 – 2 Dots

USA Special Editions:
Eastbay had a special run, and I picked up one from Ballgloves.com, of “Oil Tanned” USA made gloves in popular patterns. These are marked by the USA Flag Patch, and dark tan leather and “OT” at the end of the model number. These were made in models:

PRO-15XOT - 11" One Piece Solid (Vizquel)
PRO-2IOT – 11.5” I-Web
PRO-12TCOT – 12” Trap-Eze
PRO-TFOT – 13” Trap-Eze Fastback
PRO-2MTCOT – 11.5” Modified Trapeze
PRO-HFOT – 12.75” H-Web Fastback

Saint Louis Custom Shop (SLCS) 2008-2012:
These gloves were a special run where online retailer Eastbay partnered with Rawlings and Glovemaker, Bob Clevenhagen to make a run of custom (no stock retail models). These gloves do not all have date codes. More info a few posts down.

This section will cover the Philippines made Heart of the Hide and Pro Preferred models made from 1998 to Mid 2016. Please note this is true 95% of the time, but there are always some oddballs out there.

Popular Models 2001-2016:
217-____ is usually an 11.25" glove
200-____ is usually an 11.5" glove
12-____ is usually a 12" glove
1000-_____ is usually a 12.25" glove
504-_____ is usually a 12.5" glove
302-_____ is usually a 12.75" glove
303-_____ is usually a 12.75" glove

Signature Player Glove Models:
PRONP- Neifi Perez Model. NP2- 11.25 NP3- 11.25 (modified conventional back), NP4- 11.5, NP5 11.75 NP12 / NP6 12"
PROAK2 / PROTT2- Adam Kennedy & 2014 on- Troy Tulowitzki Model: From 11 to 11.25 to 11.5
PROAR3 – A-Rod “Signature Model” 11.5 or 11.75 with modified conventional back and I-Web
PRODJ- Jeter Model. Mostly all 11.5" Wide and flat pocket. Somewhere between a PRO200 and NP4
PRORV23- Usually 12 1/4" with deep bowl pocket and shape. Has hinged thick single post.

Web codes: Numbers and Letter Designation: “C” = Conventional Back | “F” = Fastback
1 / SP: Single Post Web w/o “X” Laced Bottom
2 / IC: I-Web
3 / BC or BF: Basket Web
4 / MTC or MTF: Modified Trapeze
5: Single Post Double Bar (Sizemore/ Abreu web)
6 / HC or HF: H-Web
7: V-Web (For a while this was a classic H-Web w/o a base. Anyone interested feel free to email me I can send you a pic)
8 / SC: Solid One Piece
9 / SC: Solid Two Piece
11 / BC Basket Connector
12 / DH: Rawlings version of the Dual Hinge
13: Modified Single Post
14 / VH: Vertical Hinge Basket
15: Modified Trap with Loops
16: Y-Post
18: Double Laced Basket
19: X-Laced Single Post
20: Single Post with X-Lace Through Web
22: Trap-Eze

Color Codes:
*Worth noting here that the majority of stock model Pro Preferred gloves start with the model “PROS” with the “S” indicating it is a pro preferred model, rather than the “K” at the end of the model number.
B- Black Horween
BU – Butterscotch
C – Camel
DS – Dark Shadow
G – Gray
GB – Golden Brown
GT – Gold Tan
JB – Japanese Tanned Black
JC – Chocolate
JO – Orange
JT- Japan Tan
K – PP Camel
KB – PP Black
KBR – PP Bruciato
KMO – PP Mocha
KN – PP Navy
KRT – PP Rich Tan
N- Navy
P or “PR”- Primo | 2017 "SH"
R- Royal
RO – Red Orange
SL – Sandlot
TI – Timberglaze
TLB – Oiled Black Horween
W – White

Back Material Codes
M – Mesh
Nubuck Suede – NB
PL – Pro Lite (Was similar to Super Skin)

Date Codes 1998 to 2016 & Model Numbers / Present

1998 – 2002 Dot Date Code System
1998 – 3 Dots
1999 – 4 Dots
2000 – 5 Dots
2001 – 1 Dot
2002 – 2 Dots

2003- Present BLACKHORSE dating system. Works for 2003 – Present and Currently uses 4 letter dating system.
*Note that for around 2003, the BLACKHORSE code started with B=0. Example below. If your glove has an oversized thumb oval, there is a good chance it is from this era if it does not have a dot date code. To my knowledge the “29” at the end of 2011ish gloves is the factory.

2003 / 2004

B = 0
L = 1
A = 2
C = 3
K = 4
H = 5
O = 6
R = 7
S = 8
E = 9

BLBC = 0103 or January 2003

2004- Present

B = 1
L = 2
A = 3
C = 4
K = 5
H = 6
O = 7
R = 8
S = 9
E = 0

BEER = 1008 or October 2008

During this time period, Rawlings adopted a more modular approach to their naming scheme. This works as follows for retail stock gloves:
Heart of the Hide: PRO(Insert Pattern Style) – (Insert Web Style)(Insert Color & Back Style Signifier)

Examples:
PRO200-6 = 200 Pattern, #6 H-Web, Tan Horween
PRO217-1KM = 217 Pattern, #1 Single Post Web, Camel PP Leather, Mesh Back
PRO303-5KRT = 303 Pattern, #5 Single Post Double Bar Web, Rich Tan PP Leather
PRO12DHJB = 12 Pattern, #12 Dual Hinge Web, Japan Black HOH
PROS17ICN = 200 Pattern, #2 I-Web, Navy PP Leather

This section will cover Rawlings HOH / PP models that were changed Mid 2016

Mid 2016- Present Model Numbers
Coming


Date Code, Leather Color, Webs
Follows same scheme as above post.

This section will detail the offerings Rawlings has put out for custom gloves and a clarification point on the differences between retail, custom, pro issue.

Publicly Offered Custom Gloves
Direct From Rawlings, Retailers and E-Tailers:
Somewhere in the early 2000’s Rawlings launched their earliest custom options. These were designated by model numbers like CGB15C for a Custom Glove 11.5” Conventional back, and so on. These were available in both HOH and PP. Somewhere around 2012, they changed to a modular “Pro-Style” system with only the model number and web signifier. PP customs start with “PROS." In 2016, this is what you see online and on an excel form.

Eastbay "Assembled in the USA" Custom Gloves
Around 2002, Eastbay partnered with Rawlings for a run of "Assembled in the USA" gloves. These were signified by the USA Flag patch and if I remember correctly, their magazine pointed to something about paying homage to Rollie Latina. I think the model numbers were something like CG12C. I have a LHT one and will double check. From what I remember this was some leftover leather and these were not super popular gloves. They were available in oil tanned tan and oil tanned black.

Eastbay Saint Louis Custom Shop (SLCS) Custom Gloves
These gloves were a special run where online retailer Eastbay partnered with Rawlings and Glovemaker, Bob Clevenhagen to make a run of custom (no stock retail models). These gloves do not all have date codes and many special requests of models, patches, webs, stamping, ect were made possible by Bob’s generousness. These can usually be distinguished by the newer look and stamping font type in the palm. The “Made in USA” stamp is usually one line as opposed to two with the previous years. However, some people were able to get older style patches (round) and stamps “Rawlings” without the “R” under the script. The “patterns” in many cases came from the same clicker press as the original USA patterns. Model numbers for gloves without special requests followed things like PRO1175C for a conventional back 11.75" glove and PRO12F for a fastback 12" glove.

"Pro Department" / "Pro Issue": A glove ordered through a pro, minor, independent, college player or glove company representative with access to full gamut of patterns and options. These are usually filled out separate from the online builder and on a paper handwritten form.

“Pro Shop” or “Custom”: Glove that was purchased using Rawlings’ custom glove builder or excel form

"Stock," "Retail," or "SMU": Glove that was part of the regular catalog line, but also includes special make up models for certain retailers. I think Rawlings has something like a 156 quantity minimum for these lines.

Thank you for posting this update! Very useful.

Hrking4675 Can you also include RTD in the list, Not the Retail RTDs but the Rawlings Team Dealer goodness during the spring training.

That post is apparently capped out at 3000 characters, so here's the addition:

Rawlings Types of Offerings Continued

Rawlings Team Dealer "RTD": Model # ends with "PRO" Often gloves that are brought to Spring Training that are basically "Pro Issue" gloves that are not custom ordered. Some retailers take stock of these gloves after the MLB season starts and you can find online and in local shops. Some popular models Rawlings always has on hand are PRO200-6JBPRO and PRO303-6JBPRO.

Thanks, great explanation.

Hi,
I just bought a new HOH Rawlings PROFM20GB first basemans mitt. I love it as its an HOH version of the PROSTX23. Anyhow, I see what I think may be a new wrinkle in the dating system. The code is ERBH29. I assume the ERBH is 0816, August 2016. But what does the 29 stand for?

Whoops, I'm a bit embarrassed. I didn't notice that it was mentioned above that the 29 was likely a factory code. Is there anything special about this factory? I'm also curious about the leather. It doesn't smell like any Rawlings glove I've ever owned. The only way I can describe the smell is "claylike".

I can't confirm this as 100% true, but based on my recent glove-watching:

For quite some time, it seemed widely accepted that gloves ordered via the Pro Department (i.e. custom gloves ordered through the Rawlings people that only deal with Pros, not your standard custom) could be identified, in part, by the skinny tag in the wrist that said "Made in Philippines" and nothing else, while all others had the wider tag with model number, etc... I've been noticing recently on eBay that nearly every custom Rawlings I see for sale (i count at least 5 right now) has the skinny tag now...so maybe this is no longer an indicator that it came from the Pro Department? Or maybe this was never a fair way to discern them. So just speculation on my part. Maybe someone who has handled a recent Rawlings custom can comment...

You arent wrong...
This was pretty annoying in the early days of instagram until people got wise and realized the skinny tag now days means very little.

Now sadly, there isnt a way to easily tell.
Sure the ST gloves have the proxxxxxpro so thats easy.

Now, only real way to discern is if its a pattern or feature not on the builder.

big thumbs down lol

Cheers!

Just an update to the DJ2 pattern. I just picked up a PRODJ2DS and in the new stamping font it has NP Pattern on the palm side thumb. A NP4 11.5 will be the same pattern, just without the DJ2 model stamp.

I've seen that as well. I am curious if they have made changed / if there was never a difference at all?

I had always been told, from credible sources, the DJ2 was slightly different from the NP4.